Nagpur: In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Social Security Branch (SSB) of the Nagpur Crime Branch arrested two alleged drug peddlers and seized 111.190 grams of Mephedrone (MD) worth approximately ₹11.31 lakh near Samruddhi Circle in the Hingna police station jurisdiction. The accused were allegedly smuggling the contraband from Kurla, Mumbai, to Nagpur for distribution.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the SSB team laid a trap near Samruddhi Circle and intercepted the suspects while they were allegedly transporting the narcotic substance into the city. During the search operation, police recovered 111.190 grams of MD drugs, a synthetic narcotic that has become a growing concern for law enforcement agencies due to its increasing use and illegal trade.

The arrested accused have been identified as Shakil Ahmad Abdul Khalid (35), a resident of Takia Diwanshah, Mominpura, and Syyed Shahbaz Qureshi (20), a resident of Kasabpura, Nagpur. Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo had allegedly procured the contraband from the Kurla area of Mumbai and brought it to Nagpur for sale and distribution.

SSB PI Darshan Patil, API Shivaji Nanaware, PSI Vivek Zhingre, Head Constable Samadhan Geete, NPC Sheshrao Raut and Police Constbales Ashwin Mange, Kunal Masram, Sameer Sheikh, Kunal Bokhade, Kishore and others made the arrest. 

Besides the narcotics, police also seized mobile phones, cash and other materials from the possession of the accused. The total value of the seized property, including the MD drugs, is estimated at approximately ₹11.57 lakh, officials said.

An offence has been registered against both accused under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigation is underway. Crime Branch officials are probing the source of the drugs in Mumbai and examining whether the accused are linked to a larger interstate drug trafficking network operating between Mumbai and Nagpur.

Police officials said the seizure is part of the Nagpur Crime Branch's intensified drive against narcotics trafficking and drug peddling in the city. Investigators are also working to identify other individuals connected to the supply chain and distribution network of the seized contraband.